Door signal



April 20, 1943.- e. s. GREEN 2,316,356

DOOR SIGNAL Filed Aug. 50, 1959 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 .25 I SORRY 2,7 26'32.

, 2O INVENTOR 3 2O Genrge S. Green.

ATTORN Y April 3- G. s. GREEN 2,316,856

DOOR S IGNAL MIL M I INVENTOR George SGreen. BY, mm

ATTORNEY April 1943- G. s. GREEN I 2,316,856

DOOR SIGNAL Filed Aug. 30, 1939 3 Shegts-Sheet 3 i 1 i I INVENTOR GeorgeJ GreG I ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEDOOR SIGNAL George S. Green, Cape Elizabeth, Maine Application August30, 1939, Serial No. 292,683

2 Claims.

This invention relates to signals, and more particularly to an improvedabsence-indicating and message-receiving device adapted to be positionedat the entrance of an office or dwelling place.

One object of this invention is to provide a door signal of the abovenature which may be selectively arranged to operate as an ordinary doorbell or to indicate the absence of the occupant of an ofiice ordwelling.

Another object is to provide a door signal of the above nature having amemorandum compartment and a semaphore device to indicate when saidcompartment has been opened.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved doorsignal device of the above nature which will be relatively inexpensiveto manufacture, simple in construction, compact, ornamental inappearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, there have been illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodiedin practice.

In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a front face view of the first form of door signal device.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, as it appears when installed in adoor frame and showing diagrammatically the electrical wiring, theswitches and door bell operatively associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the same with the cover plate removed, andwith the door swung downwardly into open position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on the broken line l-4 of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the other side of the device.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the device with thecover partly broken away.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line !I of Fi 6.

Figure 7A is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 7B is a diagrammatic electrical layout of the same.

Fig. 8 is a front view of a modified form of the invention with the doorin normal closed position.

Fig. 9 is a front view of the same with the door shown in open position.

Refernce will now be made to the drawings wherein like referencenumerals designate the same parts throughout the several views:

1 to 7 inclusive, the signal includes the usual door bell, whereby thepresence of a visitor may be audibly indicated; a colored semaphoremember to indicate the fact that a visitor has called in the absence ofthe occupant of the premises;

means to indicate to the visitor that the office or apartment isunoccupied; a message compartment for a memo pad and pencil; and meanswhereby the occupant of the ofiice or residence may selectively set theapparatus to ring the door bell or to open the message compartment, orboth, upon the depression of the push button.

In the second form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the door signal is made as areplica of a small house, has a message compartment containing a pad andpencil, and contains a modified form of automatically-operated semaphoreto indicate to the occupant of the premises when he returns thereto thata visitor has called and opened the door v to the message compartment.

The first form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive,comprisesa rectangular dished casing Ill, preferably of metal, having alaterally extending side flange I I about its forward perimeter, saidcasing being adapted to be set into the outer door frame l2 of anofiice, apartment, or residence, with the flange ll overlying the same.Suitable means, such as screws [3, may be used to secure the casing tothe door frame H. The casing is is divided by a partition l4 into upperand lower compartments l5 and I6, respectively the upper compartment I5being closed by a small vertical cover plate ll secured thereto byscrews 18 which preferably pass through the casing and engage in theapertures IQ of the casing l 1.

The lower compartment i6 is closed by a drop door 26 which is hinged atits lower edge to the casing Hi on a pin 2|, by means of which it mayautomatically swing downwardly to uncover the compartment 5 ii. The door23 is provided with a rectangular flange 22 which normally extendsrearwardly into the compartment [6. A small rectangular opening or slot23 is provided near one end of the top Wall 24 of the flange 22, intowhich a swingable angular beveled catch finger 25 is adapted to snap tohold the drop door 20 in compartment-closing position (Figs. 1 and 2)against the tension of a horizontal leaf-spring 26 secured to thepartition M by rivets 21, and acting against the edge of the flange wall24 to urge the door 20 outwardly away from the casing ID.

The drop door 20 is connected to the lower end of a link 28 by a screw30, and the upper end of said ling is pivotally connected by a bolt 33which In the first form of the invention shown in Figs. '55 passesthrough'the sidewall 32 of the. flange 22..

and is connected to the upper end of a leaf-spring 3|, disposed to slideon the outside of a side wall 32 of the casing ||l (Figs. 3 and 7). Thebolt 33 extends through and is adapted to be guided in a vertical slot34 formed in the side wall 32 of the casing Hi. The leaf-spring 3| isadapted to engage an inclined wedge surface 35 formed on the side wall32 adjacent the lower end thereof to act as a cushion brake for the dropdoor when it approaches its lower horizontal open position.

It will be understood that instead of using a spring cushion brake tocheck the opening of the door, it is within the scope of the inventionto employ a piston or plunger operating in a. cyl-. inder against thecompression of a coiled spring,

a dash pot, or any other damping device.

A memorandum pad is detachably'secured to the inside surface of the door20 between the walls of the flange 22 by having its back Card-/ boardsheet 31 slipped under a rod 38 extending 7 across the cover plate 20from one of the side walls of the flange 22 to the other. is preferablysecured to the casing by a string and is adapted to be removably heldwithin the compartment I6 by means of a receptacle, such as a screw eye40, mounted in a side wall of the casing |0 near the bottom thereof. Thememorandum pad 36 is supported, when writing upon it, by the link 28which holds the door 20 in horizontal position.

If desired, a clip (not shown) may be provided to receive the visitorscard.

Electromagnetic catch release In order to release the catch finger 25,provision is made of an electromagnet 4| secured to the rear wall I9 ofthe casing Ill by a U-shaped bracket 42, and said bracket also support amovable armature 43 by means of a fiat spring 44 secured to a post 45extending from the lower end of the bracket 42. The catch finge 25comprises a horizontal portion secured to the armature 43 and a verticalportion extending down through the partition 14 into the lowercompartment. By means of this construction it will be seen thatenergization of the electromagnet 4| will pull the armature 43 and raisethe catch finger 25 out of the slot 23 in the top wall 24 of the doorflange. 22. The door 28 will thus be released and permitted to hesuddenly swung outwardly by the leaf-spring 26 and to thereafter fall bygravity to fully open position.

Door bell is at home, provision is made of an electric bell 46, one ofthe terminals 41 of which is connected by a conductor 48 to an electricbattery 49 or other source of electrical energy, such as a transformer(not shown). The other terminal 50 of the bell 45 is connected by aconductor 5| to one terminal 52 of a selector switch 53 having a switchactuating lever 54,said selector switch preferably being of any wellknown type of snap switch whereby a central contact or terminal 55 maybe selectively connected to either of two side contacts or terminals 52and 56. r V

The central contact 55 is connected by a conductor 51 to one terminal 58of a push button switch 59 of any desired usual form and which isdisposed in the front portion of the upper cover plate I1, said pushbutton switch having an operating button 5| extending forwardly A pencil39 therefrom. The other terminal 62 of the push button switch 59 isconnected by a conductor 63 to the battery 49.

The terminal '56 of the selector switch 53 is connected by a conductor64 to one terminal 55 of the electromagnet 4|, and the other terminal 65of the electromagnet 4| is connected by a conductor 61 to the battery49.

Visible indicator In order to provide a visible indication whereby theoccupant of the premises may ascertain at a glance that a visitor hascalled and possibly has left a message on the memorandum pad36,provision is made of a swingable semaphore 68 which is mountedbetween the front want!) of the drop door 25 andan inner plate 10thereon on a thumb knob 7| to the inner end of which it is rigidlysecured. The knob H is rotatably mounted in the front wall 69 of thedoor 20 and is adapted to swing the semaphore 68 when said knobisrotated. The semaphore 68 is preferably of elongated tapered shape andextends laterally across the door 23, its larger end 12 having a pair ofupper and lower segments 13 and 14 which are colored in this instancered and black respectively. Airectangular sight opening 15 is providedin the front wall 59 of the door 20 to form a window through which thetwo-colored end l2 of the semaphore 58' may be readily observed. Thesmaller end 16 of the semaphore 68 extends beyond the knob H andoverlies the include any form of swingable, rotatable, or slidable arm,or any other shiftable member capable of giving a visible indication ofthe fact that a visitor has called and operated the push button in theabsence of the occupant of the apartment.

Operation In the operation of the first form of the invention (Figs.1-7), the casing Ill will be installed in the outer door frame I2, inplace of the present electric push button, and said casing will beconnected as above described with the electric bell 46 and the battery49. When'the occupant is at home, the lever 54 of the selector switchwill be located in position to connect the central terminal 55 with theterminal'52 of said switch, whereby the bell 46 will be in circuit withthe push button switch 59. A visitor pressing inwardly on the pushbutton 6| will connect said terminals 52' and 55, and cause the bell 46to ring, thus audibly indicating to the occupant that a visitor hasarrived.

When the occupant of the premises is about to leave, he will move theswitch lever 54 in such a manner as to connect the central terminal55 tothe terminal 56, thereby cutting the bell 46 the button 6| of the pushbutton switch 59, the

electromagnet 4| will beenergized and will draw up its armature 43,causing the angular catch finger 25 to be drawn upwardly out of the slot23 in the partition 24, thereby releasing the drop door 28. Theleaf-spring 26 will then suddenly force the door 28 a short distanceaway from the casing 10, and said door 20 will complete its movementinto fully open position by gravity, the final part of said movementbeing cushioned by the brake spring 3| and the inclined wedge surface35,

When the door 20 opens, the lug 18 will be released from its engagementwith the lug 19 and the semaphore 88 will be allowed to drop by gravityto swing the red portion 13 behind the window opening 15.

It will be seen that when the door 28 is again closed by the visitor,the red portion '13 will remain visible, indicating to the occupant uponhis return that a visitor has called and possibly has left a message onthe memorandum pad 36. The occupant, upon returning, will then open thedoor 28 by pressing the push button 6!, and when again closing it, hewill rotate the thumb knob H to swing the semaphore 68 in such a manneras to dispose the black portion 14 behind the window opening 15. He willthen enter the premises and operate the selector switch 53 so as toconnect the bell 46 into the push button circuit and to cut out theelectromagnet 4| therefrom.

If desired, both of the selector switch terminals 52 and 56 may bepermanently joined to the central contact 55. With such an arrangement,both the bell 46 and the electromagnet 4| will be simultaneouslyenergized when the button 6| is pushed.

Modification In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and9, a side-hinged door 88 has been substituted for the bottom-hinged dropdoor of the first form 20. In this modified form, provision is made of asingle compartment 8| having a paper pad 82 and a pencil 83 locatedtherein, the entire device being adapted to be hung on a wall by meansof a screw 84 when the occupant leaves the premises. The door 88 isadapted to be retained in the closed position shown in Fig. 8 by aspring catch 85, and when opened by a visitor, an indicator semaphore 86marked Look is adapted to automatically swing outwardly and downwardlyon a pivot 81 by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 9 to signal thata visitor has called during the absence of the occupant. The semaphore86 is normally retained in the concealed dotted line vertical positionby means of a stud 88 located on the door 80, which stud engages atongue 89 provided on the outer end of the semaphore 86. It will beunderstood that if desired the door 80 may be spring-opened, and thecatch stud 88 may be released by the operation of an electromagnet as inthe first form shown in Figs. 1-7, inclusive, within the spirit andscope of the invention,

In the operation of the second form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, when avisitor opens the door 80 to leave a message, the semaphore 86 willautomatically swing down to indicate to the occupant upon his returnthat a visitor has called. When the occupant has read the message leftby the visitor, he will manually raise the semaphore 86 to the verticalposition indicated by the dotted lines so that the tongue 89 will engagethe stud 88, which will hold the semaphore 86 in such position when thedoor is again closed.

With either form of the invention it will be understood that theapparatus may be made weatherproof by the use of intersecting grooves onthe door and door frame, or by Weatherstripping, etc.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in whichthe invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these formsare shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the inventionis not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified andembodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. Inshort, the invention includes all the modifications and embodimentscoming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a door signal device, a casing having a hollow message-receivingcompartment, a door for said compartment normally spring-urged to openposition, a catch to normally hold said door in closed position, anelectric circuit including a push button switch, a door bell, anelectromagnet for retracting said catch to permit automatic opening ofsaid door, a double throw switch for selectively connecting either saiddoor bell or said electromagnet into said circuit so arranged that whenthe double throw switch is in on position, pressure on said push buttonwill cause the current in said circuit to ring said door bell, and whensaid double throw switch is in its other position pressure on said pushbutton will energize said electromagnet to withdraw said catch andpermit said door to open.

2. In a door signal device, a casing having a hollow message-receivingcompartment, a door for said compartment normally spring-urged to openposition, a catch to normally hold said door in closed position, anelectric circuit including a push button switch, a door bell, anelectromagnet for retracting said catch to permit automatic opening ofsaid door, a double throw switch for selectively connecting either saiddoor bell or said electromagnet into said circuit so arranged that whenthe double throw switch is in one position, pressure on said push buttonwill cause the current in said circuit to ring said door bell, and whensaid double throw switch is in its other position pressure on said pushbutton will energize said electromagnet to withdraw said catch andpermit said door to open, and a gravity-operated semaphore pivotallymounted on said door, said lever and said casing having alined lugs tointerengage when said door is closed, to hold said semaphore lever inraised concealed position, said lugs becoming disengaged when said dooris open to permit said semaphore to drop down by gravity for indicatingthat a visitor has called and left a message in said compartment.

GEORGE S. GREEN.

